In recent years, waterbeds have become increasingly in vogue. The waterbeds are produced in a variety of sizes and manufacturers have included a multiplicity of optional features. Regardless of these features, however, the standard waterbed comprises a large, generally rectangular pillow or bladder which is adapted to be filled with a substantial quantity of water. A frame is provided to support this bladder along its lower surface as well as along its sidewalls. Further, to minimize the danger of damage should the bladder break or leak, a liner is mounted between the support frame and the bladder itself to retain the water should the bladder rupture.
Although waterbeds are found to be comfortable a significant problem has arisen when purchasers thereof desire to adapt conventional bedding to the construction of the waterbed. These problems arise since the bladder or mattress is quite heavy so that the linens cannot be readily placed thereunder and there is a tendency for the bed linens, such as, mattress pads and sheets, to slip across the mattress and to be in a state of disarray. This situation is particularly inconvenient to the sleeper and can cause a considerable amount of discomfort.
Various attempts have been made to overcome the problems caused by the slippage of bedding on the mattress or the like, and there have been examples of attempted solutions of this problem directed specifically to waterbeds. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,862 issued to LaBianco discloses a skirt attachable to a pivotal portion of a waterbed frame between that portion and the water bladder. A cover sheet may then be attached to this skirt so that it is maintained in place.
Although not directed specifically to waterbeds, another example of an attempt to attach bedding to a mattress so as to prevent slippage is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,630,587 to Brown. This patent discloses a combination sheet and mattress wherein the mattress is provided with a plurality of snaps at its corners and midway along two sidewalls, and the cover sheet is provided with associated snap-on panel portions so that these panel portions hold alongside the sidewall of the mattress adjacent thereto and interconnect with the snaps on the mattress. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,832 to DiForti et al discloses a fitted sheet for a mattress which is stitched together in a mitered corner to conform to the shape of a mattress. A pair of tabs adjacent to this corner fold under the mattress and include a Velcro pad so that they attach to one another thereby locking the sheet onto the mattress.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,743 to Smith discloses an upper sheet which is attachable to a lower fitted sheet by means of a Velcro strip, one portion of which is mounted midway on the sidewall of the fitted sheet with the other portion being mounted on the edge of the upper sheet. A flap attached to the fitted sheet overlies the attachment strip and by so constructing the sheet the upper sheet may not readily be separated along that edge from the fitted sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,487 to Beer discloses a bedding assembly having elements releasably attached by means of zippers to a mattress. In this patent, a mattress pad is attached to the upper portion of the sidewall of the mattress and a lower sheet is attached to the midportion of the sidewall. A skirt is attached by a zipper around the bottom of the mattress and this skirt extends upwardly the length of the sidewall and terminates in a pair of zippers to which an upper sheet and a blanket may be attached. In this manner, each component part of the bedding assembly is secured along its edges to the mattress thereby maintaining it in position.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved system of bedding for a waterbed and the like so constructed and arranged that the bedding liners and sheets will remain securely in place despite use of the waterbed; yet the sheets are readily detachable from the liner encasing the waterbed when desired.